New Zealand Passenger EV Penetration Simply Below 10% in March 2024

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The New Zealand passenger EV market has seen an increase from the doldrums of February, when it reached a low of 4.1% market share. Slightly below 10% of passenger autos offered in NZ in March got here with a plug. Thus, the quarter’s common was at about 6% plugin autos. Put this in the context of 2023, although, when NZ averaged a penetration price of 27%. Please notice this determine is passenger vehicles solely. The statistics on all gentle autos getting into the NZ fleet is a bit more sobering and reduces penetration to 4.7% when utes are included.

Is that this the brand new regular within the New Zealand market? Once more, we have to wait and see.

Pure petrol alone powered 3662 new autos offered (48%), plus a further 2628 HEVs (35%), 569 diesel (8%), 477 BEVs (6%) and 225 PHEVs (3%). This out of a complete of about 7,500. The general market was down considerably from February, when over 18,000 gentle autos have been offered, however was about the identical as January. Many because of James at EVDB for entry to the figures.

James tells us that in quarter 1, 2024, roughly 1100 new absolutely electrical autos have been registered. In the identical quarter, there have been 1800 Toyota RAV4 hybrids and 3204 Ford Rangers registered. Seems to be like we’re again in 2021.

The highest ten finest promoting battery electrical autos in New Zealand in March 2024 have been:

1. Tesla Mannequin 3 (125)
2. Tesla Mannequin Y (74)
3. MG4 (42)
4. VW ID.4 (28)
5. BYD Dolphin (20)
6. Seal (19)
7. BMW iX (17)
8. BMW i4 (13)
9. Hyundai Ioniq 5 (12)
10. KGM Torres (12)

A particular point out goes to the KGM Torres, which had 12 gross sales on debut. However they could possibly be seller demos. However, this SUV from SsangYong deserves our consideration. Apparently, the ID 4 numbers have been achieved on account of heavy discounting.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has dropped out of the highest 10, with solely 7 deliveries in March. The Kia EV9 had 6 deliveries, in comparison with 9 final month. BMW left the chart on February however is again now in March. Subaru offered two Solterras and Toyota one BZ4X. After all, all of those ups and downs could be brought on by delivery schedules, and so we have to preserve a long run focus. Having stated that, Tesla, BYD, and MG are shaping as much as be the mainstay of the New Zealand EV market. MG has now bumped Kia from the third spot on the rostrum.

The New Zealand electrical automobile market is ready to learn from a number of new battery electrical vehicles to be launched this 12 months. These embody the Nissan Ariya, the Chery Omoda E5 (from China), the Kia EV5, the VW ID Buzz, and the MINI Countryman. Hopefully the BYD Seagull will make it to NZ, probably known as the Dolphin Mini. The Seagull is a funds priced metropolis automobile with huge enchantment. It’s the automobile that has frightened Ford CEO Jim Farley.

Plugin hybrid electrical autos are nonetheless promoting properly in New Zealand. The highest sellers have been:

1. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (32)
2. Mitsubishi Outlander (31)
3. MINI Countryman (30)
4. Mazda CX 60 (17)
5. Land Rover Vary Rover Sport (13)
6. Land Rover Defender (12)

Toyota continues to dominate the sealed hybrid (HEV) market with over a 50% share and supplying nearly 1500 models. That is nearly twice as many as all plugin automobile gross sales — is Toyota having an “I instructed you so” second? Wanting on the superior markets of Scandinavia might imply that this second is not going to final. Toyota fields 8 HEV fashions in NZ, led by the RAV4.

New Zealand has a sturdy used automobile import business — 4% of sunshine autos registered in March have been used EVs. Nissan Leaf numbers halved month on month. One of many penalties of the numerous presence of Nissan Leafs on New Zealand roads is the need to maintain CHAdeMO chargers obtainable and properly maintained. With Japan’s EV penetration price simply over 2%, provide of used Nissan Leafs might not all the time be obtainable. Maybe we’ll see some Japanese Kei EV vehicles on New Zealand roads?

Within the broader market: the Ford Ranger claimed the primary spot, with 1005 models offered in March, adopted by the Toyota RAV4 (791 models) and the Mitsubishi Triton (681 models). Of the manufacturers, Toyota was the market chief, with a 20.9% share, adopted by Kia in second with 12.8% and Mitsubishi in third with 10.7%.

Trawling by the NZ EV Fb web page revealed an eclectic vary of matters. New Zealand, like Australia, is anticipating an inflow of electrical utes in 2024. Amongst the discussions about house chargers, public chargers, and the Highway Person tax, there have been some amusing musings concerning the Geely Radar electrical ute: If I swap my Ford Ranger for an electrical ute, can I nonetheless drive it like a Neanderthal on meth? Tailgating needs to be simpler with no “turbo lag,” and should you miss the noise, you possibly can all the time have an exterior boombox put in. Sadly, they don’t include a bottle of used oil — although, it shouldn’t be arduous to discover a provider for that.

James of EVDB and I had a chat over electronic mail concerning the future prospects within the subsequent six months for the EV market in New Zealand:

The following 6 months? I don’t assume anybody’s sport sufficient to foretell (together with me). The downturn has been deeper than I anticipated.

My perception is that Highway Person Costs (RUC) are having a big influence. Up till now, these have been levied on diesel autos. Petrol autos contributed to the roads through a petroleum levy when folks gas up.

EVs have been exempt from RUCs till this level. Whereas everybody agrees that every one autos should contribute to street upkeep, the system is poorly thought-about.

If you happen to personal a Nissan Leaf (~1,600 kg kerb weight) you contribute $76 / 1000 km.
If you happen to personal a Toyota RAV4 GX petrol hybrid (1,695 kg) you contribute $33 / 1000 km
If you happen to personal a Ford Ranger Wildtrak diesel (2,341 kg) you contribute $76 / 1000 km.

It successfully disincentives EV possession.

With only one quarter of information submit the removing of the NZ Clear Automotive Low cost, and factoring within the introduction of the Highway Person Cost this month, it seems that there’s some slight enchancment. Have all of the orders from December 2023 been crammed? Will demand attain a brand new regular in quarter 2? Solely time will inform, and we’ll watch the saga unfold. On a historic notice, James shared a clipping from a December 2000 copy of the Day by day Mail. The headline: “Web ‘could also be only a passing fad as thousands and thousands quit on it’.” Historical past might not repeat, however it does rhyme.